A little background: I met Ian in May of 2017, and it was just so easy right from the start. The best part is that Ian got real-Lacey right from the start. I never tried to be something I wasn't. Our first date was the best first date I had ever been on. We just clicked. And now, I can say that he truly is my best friend and the love of my life. Maybe I'll do a post about our courtship someday, but this one's about our wedding. So on to that adventure.
We got married in Salt Lake City on March 10, 2018. As Ian and I discussed what we wanted for our wedding, it became clear that a few things were valuable and important to each of us. Primarily that we didn't want our family to have to work too much that day, that we wanted them to be there to simply celebrate with us.
Dinner: We had quite a few family and friends coming in from out of town for our wedding, and we wanted to be able to spend some time with them before the big day, so we held a dinner the night before the wedding. Thank you to Ian's family (mainly his mom and sister) for doing such an amazing job on the whole thing. It was so beautiful, with some of my favorite flowers incorporated into the decor (love me some hydrangeas). It was just the perfect way to start off the festivities!
We also exchanged our wedding gifts to each other. Ian got me new Ray Bans, which had my new name printed on them. Perfect for matching wedding photos later.
Sealing: Ian's family are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so when we discussed the sealing, it was hard to imagine a wedding ceremony where his immediate family could not be there, but many of my extended family could attend. It just seemed off-balance. After many discussions, it was by pure revelation that we decided to have a very small sealing ceremony with just my parents and Ian's best friend in attendance. It was honestly the best decision we could have ever made. The sealing ceremony is a religious ceremony, and while we know that so many people wanted to celebrate in the temple with us, by keeping it small with just witnesses (and my mom), we allowed the focus to be on the eternal covenants we were making. It was us focused on the future together as our new family. It was beautiful and perfect. Then our family and friends were there to greet us outside.
Ring Ceremony: Since we kept the sealing so small, and we wanted to include our family in our union, we decided to hold a ring ceremony. It was very simple. A few words by a friend of ours from church, and then we each had an opportunity to express our love for each other. As I thought about what I wanted to say, I really wanted to let people know why Ian was the one I chose to marry. Many of the people there had already gotten to know them, but for those who didn't I wanted them to see that he is a very good man. He is truly the best man I have ever met, with such a wonderful heart. He is so loving and supportive and kind. He shared wonderful thoughts about gratitude, and how he was thankful for me in his life, for the woman I am, and the relationship we have built. It was beautiful.
I think everyone should have a ring ceremony like this. We walked down the aisle to one of our favorite songs by Jose Gonzalez, "Stay Alive" on the piano. We walked out to a piano rendition of Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling." It was so perfect!
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| Wishing tree guest book |
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| Hugging bears as the cake topper. |
As I look back on this day, it is such a good memory. Like all weddings, there are a few things that didn't go perfectly, but it really was the perfect day for us. When we started planning our wedding day, I really wanted it to be OUR wedding, not just some cookie cutter event. And it truly was. Little details and big picture really reflected us as individuals, and as a couple. I am so grateful to have Ian as a true partner in my life, and I look forward to celebrating this stupendous day every year!
End cheesiness, queue more wedding photos.
Links to some more photos if you're curious or interested:
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